35-year-old man gets life sentence for rape in Delta

From Paul Osuyi, Asaba

A 35-year-old man, Idris Hassan, is to spend the rest of his life in jail after a Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba, convicted him of rape offence and subsequently sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Justice OnomeMarshal-Umukoro handed down the judgement.

Hassan was arraigned on a one-count charge of rape, an offence punishable under Section 218 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 Vol. 1 Laws of the Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.

He had on August 22, 2022, unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor aged eight years.

The defendant during trial, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

But the prosecution led by Mrs Patricia Uche Akamagwuna, Director of Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and Childs’ Rights Unit in the Delta State Ministry of Justice, called six witnesses and tendered confessional statements of the defendant.

The prosecution told the court that the victim was at home with her two elder siblings when the defendant, who is a gate man to their neighbour, lured her to come and “take biscuits.

“When she got there, the defendant forced himself on her. The victim’s neighbour caught the defendant in the act and he was subsequently arrested by men of the Nigerian Police ‘B’ Division, Asaba.

Hassan, in his defence, denied the charge, and retracted the confessional statement, stating that there was no sexual contact between him and the victim

Handing down the sentence, Justice Marshal-Umukoro relied on the evidence of the prosecution and held that the prosecution had proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The court thereafter convicted and sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment.